Community
Chris Paul Joins State Farm and NBA Cares To Honor Oakland Boys & Girls Club
Oakland, CA – LA Clippers point guard and Founder of the Chris Paul Family Foundation joined State Farm and NBA Cares for the NBA Cares State Farm Assist Tracker, which tracks every assist made during games of the 2015-16 regular season. For each assist made, State Farm and the NBA will contribute $5 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help renovate select Boys & Girls Clubs across the country this year.Yesterday, Paul, State Farm and NBA Cares teamed up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland. Located in West Oakland, the Boys & Girls Club was in need of upgrades to their gymnasium and computer lab. Children from 5-17 got to enjoy new renovations and new equipment for the club’s gym and new computers for the learning lab.
“The whole process is about the kids,” Paul said. “For me I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to see what’s going on my own through my sons involvement and I want to level the playing field.”
Mayor Libby Schaaf, President of Boys & Girls Club Calvester Stanley, Joe Trapasso, State Farm Agent in Oakland, CA and Frank Sanchez, National VP, Sports, Entertainment & Alumni Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of America also participated. Together they spoke of the importance of how successful the program has been to others in the past including local icon and NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Russell.
State Farm and the NBA’s commitment to the “Exist to Assist” is a program that demonstrates the power of good neighbors while inspiring others to do good in their communities through hands on service projects. The program is community based dedicated to delivering off-the-court assists to cities around the country, in partnership with State Farm, NBA Cares and the Chris Paul Family Foundation.
“We’re trying to going around the country trying to find under privileged areas and trying to get these learning centers better technology,” said Paul. Because you grow up on the wrong side of town shouldn’t leave you at a disadvantage when the world is becoming sole technology based.”
The Exist to Assist Community Program was launched by State Farm in the fall of 2015, as an extension of the company’s ongoing NBA marketing campaign. The popular “born to assist” campaign ran for three seasons, exploring the parallels between receiving an assist on and off the court. NBA Cares is the league’s global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world.
Powered by the State Farm Assist Tracker, “Exist to Assist” has executed successful assists benefiting community organizations in Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR, Oakland, CA and the next stop is New York, NY. NBA Cares joined the mission in brining awareness along with the Paul Family, and State Farm in Oakland and will continue the “Exist to Assist” promotion as they travel through the US.
“My son comes to the Boys & Girls club three days a week for basketball practice,” parent Ahlee Lewis said. “I think it’s a good thing for athletes to come and inspire the kids but we need to followed up with ongoing support for these kids in making sure they succeed educationally.”
The Boys & Girls Club across America provides a safe place to learn and grow, life-enhancing programs, hope and opportunity to over 2,500 girls and boys ages 6 to 17. This strategy is designed to influence each child in education, commitment, responsibility, and confidence that he/she will succeed in a competitive environment. We hope this number grows each year. Look out for “Exist to Assist” in a city near you.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
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#NNPA BlackPress
OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.
As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.
Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.
We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.
Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.
The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.
We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.
Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
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